Crossed Fates (OLD)

Chapter 33: Helplessness

Elsewhere in the void...

Luna: "Uhh... Hello? Anybody? L-Luke? Tyler?"

She looks around her. She taps her chin.

Luna: "I swear me and Tyler went through that portal at the same time... What the hell's going on? Where is he?! TYLER?! You better not be fucking pranking me! Where are you?"

Nobody responds. She waits for a couple of minutes. She sighs, after she gets no response.

Luna: "Man... I forgot how eerie it is being by myself..."

She grabs her bow, and she clutches onto it.

Luna: "Ugh... I hate this place."

She hears a noise coming from behind her. She turns around and aims her bow towards the noise. She watches something from the void take form.

Luna: "No... No no no... Not you. I killed you."

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Hmm? Oh, I remember you. Your kids were fun to cut into."

Luna: "You're not real... You're not real."

Mr Mortimercaine?: "If I'm not real, then is your sister's eye injury real?"

Luna's eyes begin to twitch from anger. Mr Mortimercaine taunts her by pretending to cut off his eye with a scalpel.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Hehehehe... Her eye's gone. Never coming back! Also... not to mention the soft delicate skin of those twins. I seriously enjoyed cutting them, and I got straight to it when I took them."

Luna: "You... you take that back."

Mr Mortimercaine?: "They might have been healed, but they'll always be traumatised from that pain. Such a young age too... I should've killed them as soon as you entered the-"

Red lightning crashes right next to him. He looks towards Luna to see her body being covered by red lightning.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Seriously? This again? Did I strike a nerve?"

Luna: "You... I killed you once, I can do it again."

She leans forward, and in the blink of an eye, she's in front of him. She grabs his neck with one hand, and she starts charging up her open fist with lightning. She charges up, and punches him in the face. He is sent flying backwards, Luna then immediately appears in front of him again and again, continuing her barrage.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Oof...! Prepare to..!"

Luna restrains him with her bow. She places the wooden part on his neck, and she lifts him up in the air slightly, choking him.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Tch... don't you fight dirty..."

Luna: "I don't need to fight fair amongst the likes of you."

She sends her knee into his stomach, and she snaps her bow in half in the process.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "Hyahahahaha! What do you get out of doing that?"

Luna: "Hmm... Just a new way to kill you, that's all."

She jams the two broken pieces of her bow into his eyes. She kicks him onto the floor.

Mr Mortimercaine?: "GYAHH!!!! IT HURTS!!! IT HURTS!!!"

She jumps into the air, and she stomps her feet onto the pieces of the bow. The pieces of the bow pierce right through his head. She jumps back onto the floor.

Luna: "Huff... shit."

She takes a deep breath, and the red lightning around her slowly disappears.

Luna: "Why the hell wasn't he bleeding?"

She kneels down at his corpse. It slowly begins to dissipate.

Luna: "Woah! Shit, is this part of that shadow thing?! Did I kill one of them fakes?!"

She stands up, and she looks around. Suddenly she hears someone talking.

???: "You deeply care for those alongside you, don't you?"

Luna jumps from the surprise. A lost soul speaks from behind.

Luna: "AHH! Uh... Yes?"

???: "That anger... You let it control you. What if one day, that anger comes out to someone you love?"

Luna stares at the ghost, she looks down at the floor.

Luna: "I... never considered that."

???: "It too, was my anger that caused me to be thrown into here. I killed my family in a fit of fury after finding out my wife had cheated on me. I killed my kids too. I ran, and ran away. I stumbled across a cave, and a person in a dark green suit. He told me that he would make sure that I would be forgiven for my sins."

Luna: "Forgiven... How?"

???: "He never said. I just followed him like a fool. I went into his lab, and he threw me into a crack, saying that in here, I would atone for everything I did."

Luna: "I... see."

???: "I think it's easy to tell what happened. I died, and I turned into that mutated void... thing."

Luna: "Oh, I'm sorry that happened."

???: "Don't be. I deserved this. You still have time to work on that anger. Try asking someone close to you about it, before it's too late, anyways."

The soul slowly rises and disappears into the air. Luna clenches her fist.

Luna: "Work on my anger, huh?"

She looks down.

Luna: "He's right... I might hurt someone I love one day. I could hurt Luke."

The area around her rumbles. She looks back up, and she sees a crack in the sky.

Jesse: "Tyler! I found someone else!"

Tyler: "Oh, good! Liv, can you get them?"

Liv: "Alright! Leave it to me! Come out come out, wherever you are!"

She sticks her hand through the crack.

Luna: "Liv? Tyler?! I-I'm coming!"

She starts running, and she jumps for the hand. She grabs onto it, and Liv pulls her up pretty quickly back into the normal world.

Luna: "Woah!"

She falls forwards.

Jesse: "Good. You're out."

Luna stands up and brushes herself off.

Luna: "Guys?! You're all okay!"

She looks at Toby and Liv.

Toby: "We're fine... I uh, don't think she is."

He points his thumb at Tezuka. Luna looks at Tezuka, who's currently in Tyler's arms crying.

Luna: "O-Oh god... I've never seen her... T-This emotional. What happened?"

Liv: "We don't know. She came out one of those cracks like you did."

Toby: "You fought someone you hated in there, right?"

Luna: "I did, yeah."

Toby: "Who could she have fought in there..?"

They all look towards Tezuka. Tyler looks towards them.

Tyler: "Oh, yeah! Welcome back, Luna. I'm glad you're okay."

Luna nods, she looks around.

Luna: "Where's Luke?"

Toby: "He's still in the void! He's the last one out!"

Liv: "Damn it! Oi! Get to work, Jesse! Get him outta there!"

Jesse: "Uhm..."

Tyler: "Yeah, can you do your best to get our leader out of there, Jess?"

Jesse: "Of course... I'm on it."

The dragon above them roars once more.

Liv: "GYAHHH!!! I hate it when it makes that noise!"

Tyler: "Oi! You three, go help the others and distract that dragon! I can't do anything right now, and neither can Tezuka. You three are the only hope right now."

Toby: "Y...You sure?"

Tyler: "Positive, now GO!"

Everyone else nods, and they start running away from Tyler, Tezuka and Jesse.

Luna: "Look out from above!"

The dragon's wings begin to glow, and vertical void slices start shooting towards them. They all swiftly jump out of the way.

Luna: "Woah!"

Toby: "Phew..."

Luna: "Hey... Liv, something's different about you!"

Liv: "Yeah! I found out my resolve. So what?! Just focus on finding someone!"

They keep on running, they eventually find Matthew just standing still, staring up at the dragon, they run up to him.

Liv: "Oi! What're you doing?"

Matthew: "Hmm... No matter what I do, I just can't find an opening."

Luna: "Where are the others?"

Matthew: "Hm? Well, I think your sister and her little boyfriend took those girls, and ran away from here."

Toby: "Is Hanako okay?!"

Matthew: "She's somewhere."

Toby: "Safe?"

Matthew: "Yep. Say, where's Tyler? Jesse?"

Toby: "Still over by where you saved me."

Matthew: "Seriously?"

Liv: "Yeah! Tezuka won't budge, and she's been crying for a while in Tyler's arms! He can barely move with her on him!"

Matthew: "Damn it. They're sitting ducks there."

He points one of his blades at the dragon.

Matthew: "Alright. We'll just have to lure the dragon away from those three."

Luna: "How?"

Liv: "Hyahahaha! I'll shoot at that bastard again!"

Matthew: "Hm... Good idea, we should split up into duos. Liv? Come with me. You two? Make sure that dragon doesn't touch Tyler!"

Toby & Luna: "Right!"

Meanwhile... elsewhere in the void...

Luke: "Man... This place is scary."

He kicks at the floor, it makes a very echoed thud noise.

Luke: "Man, everywhere I look, it's the same. I feel like I'm falling infinitely, but I'm not. What the hell is even going on?"

He looks around the void. He's very confused.

Luke: "Just how long am I gonna be in here? Where's everybody else? Did they uh, not get sucked into here? Toby? Hello..?"

He laughs to himself, and he keeps looking around.

Luke: "Man... Creepy... Awfully creepy. I might be fucking dead."

He sighs.

Luke: "I hope not..."

Suddenly, he hears a noise. He turns around and he readies his shield.

Luke: "Hyah! Nice try, but you can never sneak up on the great, almighty Luke!"

He looks ahead of him. He sees a figure standing in front of him. Someone very familiar.

Luke: "Eh..? What the hell?"

???: "..."

Luke stares at the figure. He grits his teeth.

Luke: "Who the hell're you?!"

???: "I am you, Luke."

Luke: "No, you're not me! What the fuck are you talking about? Your eyes are the same color as the void around here! My eyes are blue! You're a phony!"

Void Luke: "To you, I am fake, but I assure you, I'm the real thing."

Luke: "Hah! That's a good joke. The real thing? You don't know anything about me!"

Void Luke: "Oh? Let's see. You're engaged to Luna, you don't even know any of your squad mates' last names except for Luna's, and you feel like you're a useless leader."

Luke: "Huh? W-What..?"

Void Luke: "Luna Astoria. That is her full name. You planned on making yourself Luke Astoria once you two got married."

Luke: "Oh... shit. Wait, how the fuck do you know that?!"

Void Luke: "Because, I am you, Luke. I even know about the one you call Uh."

Luke: "Uh!? How the hell do you know about Uh?!"

Void Luke: "He brought you into this world. He made you a paladin."

Luke: "What the hell're you talking about him for, EY?"

Void Luke: "He doesn't JUST talk to you during your dreams. He is that voice inside of your head. Isn't he?"

Luke: "I..."

Void Luke: "He told you to kill the Shadow Prince, didn't he?"

Luke: "I... I told him I didn't want to."

Void Luke: "That's right. You're scared of making him truly angry, aren't you? You're scared of what he could do to you, and what he could do to your friends."

Luke: "Shut up! Enough about Uh!"

Void Luke: "Oh, but I forgot to expand on something. You feel like a useless leader. A chump compared to Tyler. A chump compared to your own Fiancée. You have a burning desire to be better than everyone, don't you?"

Luke: "I don't! Stop filling my head with lies!"

Void Luke: "Lies? When I know the truth? When I am you and all  your hidden thoughts combined?"

Luke: "Are you trying to slander me?!"

Void Luke: "I'm just trying to have a talk."

Luke: "By slandering me!"

Void Luke: "Luke. There's a reason why you're like this."

Luke grits his teeth.

Luke: "I... don't want to hear it."

Void Luke: "You have to be strong for your team. Oh, and that doesn't mean charging right into the enemies with that shield of yours. Sometimes your friends are gonna need the support from their Paladin."

Luke: "B-but..."

Void Luke: "It's thrilling to take enemies down, isn't it? Yet, that's not your purpose. Everyone is counting on you. In case it all goes wrong. What's gonna happen when one of your squad mates gets killed because of your reckless antics?"

Luke shakes his head.

Luke: "No... I refuse to let them die."

Void Luke: "If you refuse to let them die, then you must fill out your role as a Paladin. Be their support, and their protector."

Luke: "I... I know..."

Void Luke: "Even if you think that they're better off without you? Go ahead and be the leader they need you to be."

Luke: "How can I do that?"

Void Luke: "By getting out of here, and being the best Paladin you can be."

Luke: "Get... out of here?"

The void version of Luke nods.

Luke: "I can't, though. I don't know how to get out of here."

Void Luke: "There's a way to get out of everything."

The void version of Luke claws at himself, and rips himself in half. Luke gets startled.

Luke: "Woah! Me! What the hell are you-"

The void version of Luke dissipates, and a lost soul takes his place.

???: "You must get out of here."

Luke: "The heck? Who're you?"

???: "I was one of Lance's followers. He asked me for tech help all the time, until he saw no more use with me. One day, he just knocked me out, and when I woke up, I was in here, already getting mutated against my will. You... I felt everything you felt."

Luke: "Eh? So you weren't really me?"

???: "No. I wasn't, but I believe in you, Luke."

Luke: "T-Thanks, I guess."

The soul flies away and disappears. Luke sighs.

Luke: "Be the best Paladin I can be... Heh... Alright."

He clenches his fist.

Luke: "I'll be the best damn Paladin ever!"

Suddenly, the area around him rumbles, he falls on his ass, until he notices a crack in the sky just formed.

Jesse: "Tyler! I found him!"

Tyler: "Can you get him? My hands are kinda full!"

Jesse: "Come for my hand!"

She reaches her hand through the crack.

Luke: "Tyler? Jesse?"

Luke quickly stands up, and he jumps towards Jesse's hand. He grabs onto it tight. Jesse pulls him back up with some impressive strength. Luke has returned to the real world.

Luke: "Wahey! I'm alive!"

Jesse: "You are... Is that everybody, Tyler?"

Tyler: "Yeah, good job, Jesse."

Luke stares at Tyler. He's currently holding a crying Tezuka in his arms. Her head is pressed pretty firmly into his chest.

Luke: "Shit... What'd I miss?"

Tyler: "Wait, did you fight someone you really hated in there?"

Luke: "Me..? No. I only really just talked with a version of myself."

Jesse: "From what I can tell... Everyone was fighting some variation of their... demons? Yeah. They were fighting their worst enemies, I think. Maybe she fought someone who's really traumatised her."

Luke: "Crap... Tezuka..."

Tyler: "She's... going to be okay. Don't worry."

Tyler pats Tezuka's head. She curls up against him, still sobbing.

Luke: "Where's the others? They okay?"

Jesse: "They've gone to fight the dragon."

Luke: "Shit!"

He looks up towards the dragon. He can see faint figures of everyone in the distance.

Luke: "I've got to-"

Suddenly, the dragon flaps one of it's wings particularly hard. Someone is sent flying towards their direction.

Luke: "Wait... Is that... Matthew?!"

Matthew lands in front of the four. He doesn't stick the landing, and he lands on his arm.

Matthew: "Gyah... shit..."

Jesse: "A-are you okay?"

Matthew: "Shit... My fuckin' arm..."

Luke: "Don't worry! I can heal you!"

Matthew: "Heal me..?  D-do it!"

Luke places a hand on his arm. He attempts to heal him, but Matthew lets out a blood-curdling scream. Luke falls on his ass.

Matthew: "SHIT, SHIT!!! THAT FUCKING BURNS!!!"

Luke: "B-Burns?! I just only healed you!"

Matthew: "Fuck! It hurts worse now, you fucking bastard! Ow, OW OW!"

Tyler: "Uhm... Guys?"

Jesse: "The dragon is aiming something at us!"

Luke looks up at the sky. The dragon's head is looking towards them, and some void particles come out of his mouth.

Luke: "Don't worry! I'll try and defend y'all! Get behind me!"

Tyler uses his feet to kick himself and Tezuka straight behind Luke's shield. Jesse takes Matthew's uninjured arm, and drags him behind Luke, while also hiding behind him herself.

Luke: "Alright!"

Luke's shield expands, and he places two hands in the same handle. He readies himself for the dragon's attack.

Luke: "I WILL become the best Paladin!"

He grits his teeth. The dragon then opens it's mouth even wider, and a huge flame-like breath the color of the void shoots out. The flame-like breath hits Luke's shield immediately.

Luke: "Hrgh... I... Can't let my team down..."

He glances at Tyler and Tezuka, who're both helpless right now. He glances at Jesse and Matthew, who are also both helpless right now.

Luke: "I... MUST LEAD THE PEEPS TO VICTORY! NO MATTER WHAT!"

He manages to block the void flame-like breath with the shield. The dragon is then hit by a cannonball made by water. Liv is in the distance. The dragon stops breathing it's void flames over them, and it goes after the others.